scholarly journals The Arctic States’ Strategies and the Northern Regions’ Food Security

2017 ◽  
Vol 162 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
Andrey Kondrashev ◽  
◽  
Mariia Nikitenko ◽  
Svetlana Trofimova ◽  
Inna Trofimova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Northern Regions

scholarly journals Morphological features, productivity and pollution state of abandoned agricultural soils in the Russian Arctic (Yamal Region)

One Ecosystem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timur Nizamutdinov ◽  
Evgeny Abakumov ◽  
Evgeniya Morgun
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Trace Metals ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Essential Contribution ◽  
High Level

Recently, questions about the return of the concept of Arctic agriculture in order to promote sustainable development of the northern regions and ensure food security have been raised more often. The re-involvement of previously-used and abandoned soils into agricultural usage can provide an essential contribution for the development of the Arctic regions. We conducted a comprehensive research of soils with different levels of abandonment in the central part of the Yamal Region (Russia) and compared their morphological features, chemical and physical properties, fertile qualities and the level of contamination with heavy and trace metals to background soils of the region. It has been noted that there are no evident features of cryoturbation processes in the profiles of abandoned agricultucal soils and regular changes in the redox regime, as a consequence of the presence of reductimorphic spots in the soil profiles, have been recorded. Soil organic matter (SOM) stock in the topsoil of abandoned soils is estimated as medium and has a similar level to the stocks of total organic matter in the agricultural soils of the Arctic circumpolar region (Norway, Sweden, and Finland). Statistically significant differences in the content of nutrients between abandoned and background soils were recorded which indicates stability of the soil nutritional state during different abandoned states. Particularly notable are the differences between the content of available forms of phosphorus. The results of the study revealed significant differences between soils of various periods of abandonment and the background soils of the Yamal Region. Abandoned soils can be used for ground and greenhouse agriculture, these soils having a high level of fertility and are not limited for use in agriculture by the level of contamination with heavy and trace metals. According to the character of trace metal contamination, abandoned and background soils are evaluated as uncontaminated on the base of Zc and Igeo indices values. Reuse of the previously abandoned soils can undoubtedly become the basis for increasing agricultural production and ensuring food security in the Yamal Region.

scholarly journals Towards an Automatic Ice Navigation Support System in the Arctic Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xintao Liu ◽  
Shahram Sattar ◽  
Songnian Li
Keyword(s):  
Support System ◽  
Indoor Navigation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Navigation Support ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Ice Navigation ◽  
Navigation Service ◽  
Sea Area

Conventional ice navigation in the sea is manually operated by well-trained navigators, whose experiences are heavily relied upon to guarantee the ship’s safety. Despite the increasingly available ice data and information, little has been done to develop an automatic ice navigation support system to better guide ships in the sea. In this study, using the vector-formatted ice data and navigation codes in northern regions, we calculate ice numeral and divide sea area into two parts: continuous navigable area and the counterpart numerous separate unnavigable area. We generate Voronoi Diagrams for the obstacle areas and build a road network-like graph for connections in the sea. Based on such a network, we design and develop a geographic information system (GIS) package to automatically compute the safest-and-shortest routes for different types of ships between origin and destination (OD) pairs. A visibility tool, Isovist, is also implemented to help automatically identify safe navigable areas in emergency situations. The developed GIS package is shared online as an open source project called NavSpace, available for validation and extension, e.g., indoor navigation service. This work would promote the development of ice navigation support system and potentially enhance the safety of ice navigation in the Arctic sea.

The Discovery of Diamonds in Siberia and Other Northern Regions: Explorational, Historical, and Personal Notes

1991 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří (George) Strnad
Keyword(s):  
White Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Short List ◽  
Ural Mountains ◽  
Arctic Circle ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Somerset Island ◽  
First Time ◽  
Made In

Only four known diamond locations are near and north of the Arctic Circle. What is believed to be the oldest diamond find in this region was made in the gravels of the Pasvik River on the U.S.S.R.-Finland-Norway border. This was followed by the discovery of the northern fields of the Yakutian diamondiferous province in the U.S.S.R. Somerset Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and southwestern Greenland conclude this short list. Geographically close to the Arctic but south of the Arctic Circle are the diamond locations on the shore of the Beloye More or White Sea and in the Timan Range (U.S.S.R.), western and eastern Alaska (U.S.A.), and in the Mackenzie Mountains (Canada). Farther south and partly in the Subarctic are locations in the Ural Mountains and Yakutia (U.S.S.R.), as well as in Labrador and Saskatchewan (Canada). While the discoveries in Canada and Greenland belong to our times, the history of the others is hidden in ancient records. For the Yakutian fields, which are of major economic importance and among the world leaders in the production of gem quality diamonds, an ancient reference dating back to 1375 is presented here for the first time.

scholarly journals Issues of providing solid fuel to the Arctic regions of Yakutia and their solutions based on the potential development of the local raw material base

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
Vladislav Igorevich FEDOROV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Solid Fuel ◽  
Local Population ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Material Base ◽  
Fuel Supply ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Coal Deposits ◽  
Northern Regions

Relevance. The interest of science and practice in the large-scale development of subarctic and arctic territories, in particular the Russian Far East and Siberia, has sharply increased in the world. Coal enterprises in remote and inaccessible areas of the region in the face of intense inter-fuel competition are faced with the need to comprehensively increase production efficiency. The successful solution of these problems is counteracted by a complex of unfavorable factors, which, compared with the regions of traditional subsoil use, significantly increase the cost of any activity and predetermine high specific energy consumption in conditions of increased risks of various nature. They are most pronounced in the northern regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) with their extreme natural and climatic conditions, where due to the simultaneous effect of the low level of infrastructure development; very complex logistics; seasonality and discrepancies in the delivery of goods by water and road; scattered across a huge area of a small number of settlements, etc. there is a sharp complication of the conditions for the normal provision of all types of resources used. The priorities here are normal functioning of the local population, improving energy and environmental safety with acceptable economic and social efficiency. Purpose of the work: to substantiate the need and the possibility of adjusting geotechnological solutions when mining coal deposits with open pits of small and ultra-low thickness when they operate as part of local fuel and energy complexes to increase the efficiency and safety of deliveries to remote areas and improve the quality of coal shipped. Method of research. Generalization and analysis of scientific and technical literature. Using the method of analogy the selection of criteria for creation of micro-sections for coal mining in the Arctic regions of Yakutia and the effectiveness of their implementation in the system of providing solid fuel to consumers in hard-to-reach areas were made. Research results. A solid fuel supply scheme is proposed that meets the coal needs of remote areas of Yakutia, which is based on the concept of creating new local small coal mines near consumers to replace the existing expensive, complex and unreliable scheme. A complex of geotechnical criteria and boundary conditions oriented to small coal openings is presented, on the basis of which it is possible to reveal resource-saving, technical and technological capabilities of the chain, economically acceptable and environmentally efficient development of coal deposits. Link optimization can result from the immediate horizontal and vertical integration of small open cuts in the coal supply chain to consumers. Conclusions. The development of local deposits is one of the ways to increase the stability of the solid fuel supply chain to consumers, as well as the energy security of the inaccessible northern regions of Yakutia and support their economic and social development.

scholarly journals Towards an automatic ice navigation support system in the Arctic area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahram Sattar
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Voronoi Diagram ◽  
Support System ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Navigation Support ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Ice Navigation ◽  
Arctic Area

Conventional ice navigation through sea ice is manually operated by well-trained navigators, whose experiences are heavily relied upon to guarantee the ship's safety. Despite increasingly available ice data and information, little has been done to develop automatic ice navigation systems to better guide ships in sea ice. In this study firstly navigable sea areas for different types of ships were identified according to the navigation codes in northern regions. Secondly, three algorithms of path planning were adopted to automatically compute the safest-and-shortest ship routes based on the concepts of the Voronoi diagram, Visibility graph, and Visibility-Voronoi diagram, respectively. These algorithms and results were compared and evaluated in terms of different application scenarios. Results show that the Visibility-Voronoi approach seems to be the best viable solution in terms of computing performance and navigation safety. The work will provide a basis for further development towards an automatic ice navigation support system

scholarly journals Analysis of Foreign Experience in the Financial Regulation of the Arctic Territories Development and its Application in the Northern Regions of the Russian Federation

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-29
Author(s):  
Roman V. BADYLEVICH ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Regulation ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Financial Policy ◽  
Arctic Zone ◽  
Foreign Experience ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Regional Financial Policy

The article examines foreign experience in implementing regional financial policy in relation to the Arctic territories. It assesses the experience of such sub-arctic countries as Canada, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the USA. The paper identifies two groups of financial instruments of territorial devel-opment: within the framework of general regional policy (instruments of fiscal capacity equalization, taxa-tion instruments, instruments to increase investment attractiveness) and within the framework of special policy for the development of Arctic territories (program-targeted instruments, special development funds, direct allocation of funds for current expenses and development). It is concluded that the Arctic countries apply different approaches and tools to the development of the regions located in the Arctic zone, the choice of which is determined by the type of state structure, the degree of financial independence of the regions in the sphere of financial regulation, the level of development of the northernmost subjects compared to the rest of the country. In the conditions of Russia, it is possible to use the best foreign experience in the sphere of financial regulation of development of the regions located in the Arctic zone. In particular, it is possible to use the experience of applying program-targeted development tools, the formation of special development funds, which are based on revenues from the use of natural resources of the Arctic, as well as the experience of creating favourable conditions to attract investors for the implementation of economically attractive projects.

scholarly journals Hydrological Variability and Changes in the Arctic Circumpolar Tundra and Its Largest Pan-Arctic river Basins from 2002 to 2016

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Suzuki ◽  
Koji Matsuo ◽  
Dai Yamazaki ◽  
Kazuhito Ichii ◽  
Yoshihiro Iijima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
River Basins ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Lena River ◽  
North American Continent ◽  
The North ◽  
Hydrological Variability ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Terrestrial Water

The Arctic freshwater budget is critical for understanding the climate in the northern regions. However, the hydrology of the Arctic circumpolar tundra region (ACTR) and the largest pan-Arctic rivers are still not well understood. In the present paper, we analyze the spatiotemporal variations in terrestrial water storage (TWS) of the ACTR, including three of its largest pan-Arctic river basins (Lena, Mackenzie, Yukon), using monthly Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data from 2002 to 2016. Together with global land reanalysis, river runoff, and inundation extent area (IEA) data, we identify declining TWS trends throughout the ACTR that we attribute largely to increasing evapotranspiration driven by increasing summer air temperatures. In terms of regional changes, large and significant negative trends in TWS are observed mainly over the North American continent. At basin scale, we show that, in the Lena River basin, the autumnal TWS signal persists until the winter of the following year, while in the Mackenzie River basin, the TWS levels in the autumn and winter has no significant impact on the following year. As global warming is expected to be particularly significant in the northern regions, our results are important for understanding future TWS trends, with possible further decline.

scholarly journals Main directions, specifics and prospects of architectural and construction design development in conditions of Northern latitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 122-127
Author(s):  
V. S. Gusev ◽  
◽  
Yu. V. Pukharenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Arctic ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Construction Design ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Extreme North ◽  
Scientific Achievements

Northern regions of the country are of great economic, geopolitical, defense and strategic importance. The article considers the problems of construction in the Arctic regions highlighting the importance of using construction technologies and materials that meet the conditions of the Extreme North, as well as integrating the latest scientific achievements into the field of architecture and construction with the need to implement the experience of foreign and Russian developers and facilitating the development of Arctic tourism.

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